davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12

~ nou couldn't move him. Brown ,r,. -.
~ i've -. Inlon, and, though an ienoram NUS aol
Tile 80 ene general sense, he had Av ,a nlsn
tto on good memory. and he con1d Ie a,,t
YAK .i any man in the neichborhood" t'' o s!
th .li net tnls made him dangerous man ,' ~
lHe oon1ederates, and he received oia,,t,. .3
, ,lln.s that his life was not safe He oo,, "
NV nUa remove his family, having no maons
~. ne was determined not to entar H.
fa Umieuefate ranks. He therefore babe his
oa .na oa-by one evening and started for
a n VI sixty miles across the country.
cob;n An aa- named Ben Lock, living in y
getting his living by hunting. farm;n m, anu anu
stealing, had by this time pathera1 q I, aaa
otner pad men around him. nssnm - 49, t1a
..ie OF Captain, and was riding around the
country 70 rob and abuse Unionists, mat ,.
nl9 ana MS gang the very day Brown fiaa
ana understood 70 from their talk that t lH
were after him. 1t seems they cot y hint
o1 MS having left home, and iaid for h;n,
along path which he was expected tn fol- fol-
low, he was thus captured. In the strnz-
gle ne Killed one of the men, and in retnsn
tney roasted him alive at the stake. II was
si1 months before the facts were known to
Mrs. Brown. She had remained right NJ
nome, and, though known to be Union.
~ uau Aot peen disturbed. When she
learned the horrible fate of her husband
she registered a vow to kill every man an,
gagged in the affair. AS the whole crowd
mad been merged into another crowd and
peen sent off to Virginia, the chances of
her threat being fulfilled looked yery slim
She did not leave home, but waited for
time to aid her in her revenge.
In January, 1868, Ben Lock, who was
ser sergeant sl OF cavalry, came back home for
the first time, having mission to enlist
such men as could be prevailed upon to
join the flag. He took up his quarters at a
house three miles from Mrs. Browns and
during the first hours of his arrival gave
out that he intended to burn her cabin and
drive her and her children into the hills.
On that first night, as he took the water
pail just at dusk, and started for spring
few rods away, the report of gun was
heard, and when some of the people went
out to investigate they found Ben Lock w.
ing near the spring with the top of his
head blown off. It was we'll known for
miles around that she ambushed and killed
Lock, but so far Us know, she was never
disturbed on that account. On the con-
trary, the Confederates around her all
praised her nerve, and had no laments for
the fellow Lock, who had tumbled into n
shallow grave.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
THE GARDENER.
Garden Hints

Summer pruning is very advantageous
on trees and shrubs, and should be more
widely practiced. A judicious thinning
out while the tree or shrub is growing
would save much work in the winter sea-
son, when it is too often the custom to gel
the cowboy with shears, or a laberer with
az or saw, to chop off the head and ire
trievably ruin things. The finger and
thumb on the young branches of pines
while they are growing have wonderful
effect on the beauty.of the tree.
Evergreen trees love pruning as we'll as
deciduous. The Scotch pine and the Chi
nese arbor vitc are two plants which de-
rive much benefit from the pruning knife
Both these are very liable to get ragged
when left entirely to their natural in
pact luxuriance under the occasional ap-
plication of the knife. The Scotch pine,
with judicious pruning, makes one of the
! most beautiful ornaments of the lawn.
1t can be made to take many odd forms.
Deciduous shrubs may often be trained
into interesting forms. The wistaria simen-
sis, for instance, makes very interesting
object trained rs a small tree: If tied up
to stake for one or two years and then
suffered to stand alone it will make o
pretty, round head, and when in spring
The pendant blossoms are in profusion it
makes unique ornament IN the lawn.
The best material for soil for mountain
plants is rotted leaf soil, such as is made
at home or raked up from the hollows in
the woods. Also the thin lining of leaf
mould to be found in the hollows in rich
woods, and which may be skinned off with
sharp spade, is Oh excellent material.
This, mixed and chopped up, together
with little sharp sand added, forms q
soil in which most wild plants will estab-
lish themselves. After planting mulch the
ground with sphagnum moss.
In cutting grass with lawn mower on q
slope of considerable inclination, the
method customa,ily followed by some gar
deners is to attach rope to the user of
the machine, snid rope to be held by an
assistant standing at the top of the bank.
A second rope is frequently attached to the
.nachine itself and is held by second as
sistant. 1t is suggested that the operator
be provided with a pair of shoes having
double corrugated soles, such as are used
by lawn tennis players, instead of cutting
the ludicrous figure described above.
An English gardener uses the following
inexpensive and useful continuance for
lessening the stream of water flowing
from water pot, as is often necessary
when watering small plants and cuttings.
He procures. a cork and burns hole
through its center by means of hot iron,
and then inserts a portion of a goose quill
which is slightly longer than the cork it.
self. The cork tapers so that it will suit
almost any watering pot.
Mulch is recommended for strawberry
culture to keep the ground cool and nice.
After the second hoeing, just as tie flowers
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
The sergeant's Answer.


At the battle of Goldsboro Bridge, a
Massachusetts chaplain happened to get
near Belger's Rhode Island Battery, which
was hotly engaged The Confederate shells
were ploughing burrows about the guns,
and the cannoneers were grimly and ac-
lively at work, answering shot for shot
under the eye of Colonel Hickman, who
received star for heroism there. The
chaplain thought it his duty to address
himself to sergeant, who was very eff
Gent, but at the same time rather profane,
in the following words:
"My dear friend, if you go on this way,
can you expect the support of Divine
Providence?"
"Aii't expectin' it, /" said the rough SER
eeant; "the Ninth New Jersey has been
ordered up to our support"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
THE POULTERER.
POasltru Hints.


Hens that are confined in summer must
nave green food. 1t is an easy matter to
pluck few handfuls of green grass each
morning and give to the poultry. But It is
essential, and very few hens will Law with
cut green diet in some form.
When hen goes to setting, then is the
time to call her out, if she be poor speci-
men she will be nuisance around the
nests, and even if broken up will be dead
loss for some time, as a hen will not
ordinarily begin laying again for two weeks
or more.
The run of henhouse should be dug up
every morning. Each time the yard is
spaded, sprinkle in pint or more of oats.
Ibis will keep the hens busy, and the
grain that escapes biddie will sprout in q
few days and afford the poultry o dessert
of green oats.
Nests IN summer time should be filed
with excelsior when easily obtained, not
because it is cooler than hay or grass, Blu,
for the reason that lice are not so apt to
bread in it. The excelsior is cleaner and
remains in position better than most ma
teria!s. 1t does not crowd into the cor
ners and leave the middle of the nest
bear.
Young chicks, of all poultry, cannot be
neglected. They must have lots of care
anu htleltlOn. give tno llttle chicks the
dainty morsels left from the table, plenty
of milk and water and frequent sprinklings
OF buckwheat. Then warm night retreat,
and they will grow like weeds.
Though it is not advisable to disturb q
sltting hen unnecessarily, yet it is an easy
task to tell whether or not the eggs are fertile
after the eighth day. If the gem be alive,
the eggs will appear opaque or dark, ex-
cept perhaps small portion towards the
top. But if they are not impregnated, the
light will pass through them almost as if
newly laid.
War against lice and other vermin should
be waged with untiring effort in the hen
house, before the pests really have an OPP
portunity to breed. 1t is an easy matter to
keep out the maggot when one starts soon
enough, but very hard task it is to rid
henhouse of insects after they have once
ct hold. The best cleansers of poul-
'y-house ore sulphur and kerosene oil,
and liberal use of them will give the fowls
clean quarters.
Nothing more than general rules can be
laid down for the feeding of poultry in
summer. The quantity of food depends
solely on the breed of hens. The heavier
fowls, Bramhas, Langshans, and Plymouth
Rocks, should be fed sparingly on oats.
wheat, and screenings, with very little meal
and corn during the hot weather. The
Leghorns can be fed about every variety of
food with safety. They are so nervous
and wiry that it is not an easy matter to
get them too fat.-C0r. American Guilt
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
THE FORESTER.
Forestry IN Ohio.

The growing of forest trees and the pres
ervation and extension Of existing wood
land is subject of wide consideration
among the people of Ohio. 1t is claimed
in that State that their springs are failing,
their streams becoming more irregular in
their flow, their winds becoming more and
more destructive, floods more common
and droughts more frequent, more severe,
and more protracted.
While the annual average rainfall is
about the same as it was twenty-five years
ago, the distribution is less even. It is
often found too wet and equally often too
dry to attain fair measure of success in
farming. just what effect trees have upon
climate is not clearly understood. History
shows, however, that in every country
where the proportion of land devoted 10
forests is less than one-quarter of the
whole area, there the climate is less
genial and more trying to cultivate crops.
In Ohio, at the present time, less than
seventeen per cent. of the total area is de-
voted to the growth of timber, and the
work of destruction still goes on.
The experiment station in Ohio does not
urge the planting of trees for the vague
and not we'll understood climate effect they
may produce. 1t urges tree planting for
profit, and believes under many conditions
a crop of trees will give better return for
the labor expended than any other crop.
Trees may be planted for three distinct and
special purposes, namely: For timber, for
shelter and protection, and for ornament.
For the first purpose much rough and
rugged land, all ravines and steep hill
sides, in short. every acre that is not cult
waited, OF is cultivated ut loss, should be
reclothed and devoted to the most valuable
varieties of timber trees. For the second
purpose, protecting belts of trees should be
established wherever buildings, orchards,
ana gardens are exposed to cold, sweeping
winds. Viewed in the light of economy
alone, such tree planting should not be
neglected. The banks Of streams, ponds
and open bitches may often be planted with
trees that will be protected from washing
by floods and rapid currents.
For ornamental purposes, all public
roads should be belted with rows of.stately,
graceful trees, while our lawns, school,
yards, public parks, and the like should
not be forgotten. Probably there is not a
farm in the State, the value of which
would not be greatly increased by the
judicious planting of some trees, even for
ornamentation. A place beautihed by fine
shade trees will always sell for price that
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
Reunions.

The survivors of the Eighth Illinois
Cavalry will hold reunion at the Sherman
House, Chicago.
A reunion Of the survivors of the One
Hundredth Illinois will be held at Lock-
port, September %. Comrades wishing
information can obtain same by addressing
George Speuy, Secretary, Lockport.
The annual reunion OF the survivors of
the Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry will be
held at tue Sherman House, Chicago, Sep
TENDER 16.
The survivors of Seventh Illinois Cavalry
will hold reunion ut st. Louis during the
National Encampment, to which all mem
bers OF the regiment are cordially invited.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
I shot doWa The taco tootmen nearest me.

Ihey asked me various questions, all of
which l refused to answer. They dis
cussed among themselves whether to hang
me there and then or take me to camp and
hang me there. 1t was finally decided to
take me to camp.
They marched me through On open
place, two footmen in front, two in the
rear, and horseman on either side of me.
was armed with two revolvers and a
sword. After gong some twenty rods the
sergeant. who was on my right, noticing
my pistols, commanded me to halt and
give them up, together with my sword.
said, Certainly, gentlemen" and i'm
mediately halted. AS I stopped, they all
filed past me, and, Of course, were now in
front of me.
AT this time we were in an open place
in the woods, but about sixty rods to the
rear was thicket of undergrowth; thus
everything was in my favor. I was quick
of foot and fair shot, yet the design of
escape was not formed in my mind until l
had brought my pistols 10 the front part of
my body and my hands touched the stocks.
The grasping of the pistols suggested
the cooking of them as l drew
them out. This I did, and the in
slant 1 got command of them I shot
down the two footmen nearest me-about
OLA 4CCI oil-Ouo Will OUCH uduO. SRulCh
as thought l turned and ran toward the
thicket in the rear. The confusion of my
captors was apparently SO great that 1 had
nearly reached the shelter of the friendly
thicket before shots were fred at me. One
ball passed through my left cheek, passing
out of my mouth; another one, musket
ball, went through my canteen.
Immediately upon this volley the two
cavnlrymen separated, the one to my right,
the other to my LETT, to cut off my retreat,
the remaining two footmen charging di-
rectly toward me. turned upon the horse
men and fired three or four shots, but the
balls few wild.
1 still ran on until got over knoll, and
had nearly regained one of the pickles of
our line, when I was headed OF by the
mounted men. was compelled by force
Of circumstances to again surrender, and
was this time marched in triumph to their
camp.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
Wedding. Hoet,,g. ana M,.keh,,,o.

These are three essentials of good cult
walton, writes an English gardener, and, as
regards TIE first, I consider the most COM
mon-se1se way of looking at the matter is
that, since it ie impossible to have good
vegetable crop and weed crop off the
Same ground at one and the same time,
therefore the weeds should be DESTROYED as
sooA as they are discernable, or, at any
rat, before they are of sufficient size to at
q ROD the soil OF any of the properties
that ought to be solely appropriated by the
vegetable crops. To this end it is neces-
sary that ones mind be thoroughly imbued
with the importance of the subject, then
WILL be found ways and means of doing the
work, however short-handed we may bel
mean In reason, and where hands are
allowed in something like reasonable pro-
portion to land under cultivation. If these
conditions cannot be afforded, then the
next most profitable plan of culture would
be tc reduce the amount of ground, and to
do that we'll, and grow on it but one crop
ut time, and by thus giving no quarter to
weeds the probabilities are in favor of at
least as heavy crop of vegetables from
reduced grounds as from much larger
plot which-of necessity from lack of
labor-must be weed-invested. But the
remark will no doubt be made that any and
every crop is liable to get overrun with
weeds. Yes, but the fault does not lie
with 1.-THE weeds, because they can at all
times be destroyed, and the second phase
Of our subject-namely, hoeing-is the
best way Of effecting their radiance, and,
better STILL ofpreventing their appearance,
and still better, of assisting growth, which
the loosing Of the surface soil does by rend
ering the ground more easily susceptible of
atmospheric influences. Nor are these the
only merits we must attribute to hoeing,
for the practice is indispensable to the OBJ
tanning of the highest results in the cult
walton of all crops that have to
be grown SO close together that
the third phase of our SUBJ
ject-namely, mulching-cannot be carried
out. OF course, the respect of all crops to
which mulching can conveniently be ap-
piled hoeing is unnecessary and mulching
is necessity, if the highest order of Guilt
walton is the aim; no matter what the char
acter of the soils may be, the practice is
alike desirable and beneficial for the heav-
lest as for the lightest, for if applied to the
former it prevents the soil cracking or
assuring open to the injury of the roots,
and for the latter it renders artificial water
ing unnecessary in the driest season. But
! am forgetting, by presupposing that the
best material for mulching-long stable
manure-is plentiful, which is not the case
in every place Gt is not Lere), but when it
is we use it in preference 10 any other, an
after it is done fall back on the short grass
from lawn mowings, and when thus reluc-
family compelled to use such material
sprinkling of SCOT or some kind of artificial
manure is first applied and the grass over
this.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
THE COOK.
Choice Cooz:i,,a i,eclpea.

Tea Cakes.-Rub together four teaspoon
fuls of butter and one cup of sugar, add
one well-beaten egg, one tablespoonful OF
cream and two cups of flour, into which
has been sifted two table-poonfuls of bak-
ing powder. Bake in small pans and eat
while fresh.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
Memorable Day.

! il forget the day our army was
ea when We heard of General
fer.
Fmorable epoch in the lives of
toys who wore the gray.
had families returned to their
(mes, and by hard work, good
and untiring industry, finally
repairing to some extent the
ar. The old Southern home
ID left but short time before
the old mansion which had
OF their ancestors was gone.
elned We're the smolderin g
told the tale of destruction.
that they had owned were
and, IN the eyes of the law,
inner masters equals in many
those that enlisted in the
possessed everything req
Nplness and contentment-
and money in abund-
entered the service opulent,
loVed ones at home with oil
Fsary for the comforts and
hey went into the army
oflds goods, and came out
Ut money was worthless, their
and, Ia some instances,
contiscated. 1t seemed
:" was nothing to live
lands, andproperty of
.on We're swept from US
Fsthe wind. Yet the South
not repine; he thought not
looked to the future. He
sa1d suit of gray. arrayed
'ol homespun, and went to
Vuses We're erected, farms
cotton factories were built,
YIN OF industrys was heard
parts Of the land. We are
! North and South shaking
oloody chasm. Godsave us
r y, sslon. We want no more
=. We wish to see no more
"lu no more smoldering
" an, no more streams Of
shed in wars waged by
.asmcn. Let us fervently
santry's history may never
scene like the one through
Passed! When we Shall
~ - perpetual oblivion all
,, Nc, Of the past we will in
~ py,i as we'll as a prosperous
ss J, true Ut, patriot firmly re-
J. N n healing the gaping
o 1od! they are healing
i, ent humble opinion, the
nn MINI when We shall know
S a,l' no East, no West, but
~''e''' Tree republic CHI
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12

Two LITTLE boys were discussing the
strength of bee. "Hc can pull more'n
fy," said one of them. "Well," said the
other, Il dunno how much he can pull;
but when he backs up to you and pushes, I
puers you'll fall hack every time"
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
and only last summer we shook hands and

ana an lon only last summer we shook hands, and
he 'hanked me that he still lives.
Ano,hef case was of boy who WAS an
parently not long for this earth. He was
sinking fast, and pleaded piteouslv for
me NOT to make him take the medicine
Immediately on disseminating the medi.
cine he began to revive. Sometimes the
ooc.o u, would fix up dose and give IT him
sen, then the poor fellow would refanse
loi several hours. But by careful MANAGE
i nee we dld not allow that to happen very
olten, and III the course of time Tommy
'sasl was ready to report for duty. have
never since met him.
lhere were plenty of other cases NEARLY
or quite as remarkable.
He Got Even with the General
have looked long and anv;ons1v for
some dry top rails from the Forty ninth nth
ONO volunteer Infantry, but. excent n
snort sketch from Dixon, some time noo
! nave looked III vain. 1 wonder If he ia
Inc same Dixon whom the rebels over
nauled and jerked his gun off his shoulder
ana nit him over the head, when thew snr,
pilsed and drove in our pickets at Colnm-
pa lem? did not spill half az mich
repel gore as some others-but did helm
spill hos gore once that paid for. 7 was
on picket with one Gid Sabins, near Nash
vilie' When our forage train got into hor-
net nest outside. In the racket a lot of
good o.. shoats came by our post and
l hited one. We "skun" him nicely.
ana when we were relieved, about sun.
gown, we fell in the rear with our pip
between US on gun. We were conerat.
ula5lng ourselves on our good luck when
we neard a noise in our rear, and on look
,ng s,,: PACK we saw our Brigadier General
W. Mlllch and his staff coming right for us.
we gave the pig fling in some tall weeds.
ana passed on. General Which halted us
and asked why we threw it down. fold
nm was afraid it would scare his horse
He said: -''' noiee'
Ware you got dot big?"
ri bought it," replied.
ware did you Ply him?" came next.
wen, General, might as we'll tell it
straight now as at any time," I replied.
feeelng that had been caught; 81 stole it,"
oh, think 80. You take him up and
Well, when got to his quarters he gave
me stunt to go and get my tent and stay
there under guard till ate that hog ali 10
without any salt, bread or coffee! 1 stood
1t one meal, when the guards who we're
over me offered to trade bread, SAL, and
coisee for fresh meat, and if ever was on
light duty and "fared sumptuously" did
one week there. He was very much sur
prlsed mat ate it in one week, and more
so that was we'll. But he gave me some
iatherly advice and told me to go back to
the boys. Boys of Company E, do you
remember this little episode in our four
years and five months and over? EN-.
Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-08-12
5 d Husawhacker.

l; icing in East Tennessee
|t"e ei that all Union men
lA;n' !! homes or remain. at
\ lives, a mountaineer
hair nlsown left his wife and
ana HS0 ms way through to
o SD = enlist. I knew him
sys s1 educated man, and
lin s IL looked for sentiment
]es iip and ragged clothes.
ps dung Of sentiment, how
|sseaas.'cated, and poverty
,al'a We're aroused by the
Mas Isse for I2 and against the
ooa a Onionist, he was as
was q Confederate,